Speculation Taylor Swift’s subtle set list change on Eras Tour hinted at split from Joe Alwyn

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn. Photo / Getty Images

Taylor Swift is renowned for planting Easter eggs in her songs, posts and music videos.

And it seems the US pop star, 33, may have hinted at her split from long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn, 32, a week before their relationship breakdown made headlines on Sunday.

Swift, who is currently embarking on her groundbreaking Eras Tour across the US, made a subtle set list change for her three shows in Arlington, Texas, which kicked off on March 31.

In the weeks prior, Swift was singing invisible string from her Grammy-winning album folklore, a track which chronicled her love story with Alwyn.

But for the Texas shows, she swapped it out for a different song from the same album, the 1, which details love lost:

But we were something, don’t you think so? / Roaring 20s, tossing pennies in the pool / And if my wishes came true / It would’ve been you

In my defence, I have none / For never leaving well enough alone / But it would’ve been fun / If you would’ve been the one

Her opening Texas show marked the first time Swift had sung the song on this tour since it kicked off in early March, and while the change went unnoticed at the time – given Swift peppers in different bonus songs for each of her shows – the timing of the swap has not gone unnoticed by her fans.

🚨| Taylor Swift performs “the 1” from “folklore” instead of “invisible string” as part of the setlist for the 1st night of ‘The Eras Tour’ at Arlington, Texas! #TSTheErasTour #ArlingtonTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/VeIvBAMb0g

— The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) April 1, 2023

Multiple reports confirmed yesterday that Swift and her British actor boyfriend went their separate ways “a few weeks ago” after six years together.

Entertainment Tonight claimed the split was amicable and “not dramatic”.

“The relationship had just run its course. It’s why [Alwyn] hasn’t been spotted at any shows,” ET quotes a source as saying. Swift started her massive Eras stadium tour last month in the US, and Alwyn has not been seen at any of the seven shows performed so far.

No but i thought Taylor and Joe broke up as soon as she changed invisible string to the 1 on her setlist it seemed like she was hinting at something #taylorswift

— Haley Slater (@haleyyslaterr) April 8, 2023

Swift and Alwyn are yet to comment.

The pair have been notoriously private since meeting at the Met Gala in 2016 – they have never walked a red carpet together, nor uploaded a photo with one another on social media.

But behind the scenes they were a formidable force, with Alwyn helping Swift pen songs for her last three albums: Folklore, Evermore and Midnights.

“Joe is the first person that I play every single song that I write [for], and I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine,” Swift said from the stage when she accepted the 2021 Album of the Year Grammy for folklore.

The pair had long been rumoured to have secretly married during the Covid lockdowns in the UK, though these reports have never been confirmed.

Swift has been writing songs about Alwyn since her 2017 album Reputation, with songs like Gorgeous and Delicate dedicated to The Favourite actor.

Prior to meeting Alwyn, Swift had a string of high-profile relationships with Tom Hiddleston, Calvin Harris, Jake Gyllenhaal and Harry Styles.